Training The AD - Page 1

I have been training the last couple of weeks for the AD.  I have looked at the WDA website for the criteria and have learned much on simple stuff - such as what side the dog is suppose to be on, the speed and what to expect, but I have a few questions for those that have actually completed the AD on a bike.

My dog will not stop focusing on the front tire.  No matter how fast I go -he appears to be heeling to it. I have determined that his perfect heeling - with his head looking up at me - while he is on the left - is a fixation for maybe me as  prey - because now he is on the right side of my bike - and he is fixating on the tire -same as when on left side and heeling perfectly to the tire....way to close to my bike - (I at this point do not have a springer, that will come). This to me is not the way he should be traveling with the bike.  It is not pleasant...Maybe I have trained to much to stay to close to me on the heeling at the left side....not sure.....But I can't seem get his mind off of that front tire....

Let me say this, I also have a female that I am training for the AD.  She doe not look at the tire and is at a reasonable distance and seems to have a mission to get someplace - so the pace we are traveling is true and steady and is pleasurable.  Not the same with my boy.....

The ride with the male is hectic and fast because of his fixation.  Does anyone have any suggestions on what I need to do with my boy.....

YogieBear

If you can manage to not wreck the bike by using just one hand, get a small squirt bottle or water gun and squirt him with water to discourage him from focusing on the tire.  Better hang on though, it could be a rodeo when he reacts.  Just a thought.

How much AD training have you done?  I ask because I had a dog who did this initially, but once he was comfortable with the bike and the trotting he stopped.  I didn't use a Springer either.

He did tend to crowd the bike initially.  I fixed this by watching him carefully, and sharply turning the front wheel into him.  Not hitting him, but correcting him.  (Actually, I probably did bump him a couple times). Unless  your dog would use this as an excuse to attack the tire (lol) I wouldn't do it.  Actually, I would, and then correct him.  Obviously you have to be secure on the bicycle to do this.  I taught my dog that it was his responsibility to stay out of the way of the tires, so he keeps a weather eye on the bike, and yes, some of them have to be taught proper position.  The sharp tire turn worked for my dog.  Good luck!

 

 

"The ride with the male is hectic and fast because of his fixation. Does anyone have any suggestions"

YOU set the pace, not the dog.

Now that my dog is really fit, he wants to GO GO GO, so I tell him "Easy" or "Slow Down."  I had to run him with a prong collar initially when we were starting, and make UPward corrections.  Now he goes on his fursaver.

Depending on the day and the distance, we do various speeds.  Some days are easy 7mph days, others faster.  We practiced slowing to walking speed and even coming to a full stop without him leaving his position, because sometimes you have to because of traffic or intersections (we bike most often in a school complex - after hours - but other people are there using the ball fields, so there are some cars and pedestrians).

Most days we finish with a sprint, so he knows Go means GO!

YogiBear, I send this link to everyone on here who asks about AD conditioning.  I'd never done one before last year.  I followed this program to the letter and it worked great.  It'd been Decades since I'd been on a bicycle, but following this in 6 weeks I had a beautifully fit dog, and the AD was a breeze for both of us. 

http://www.siriusdog.com/ausdauerprufung-ad.htm

Yogie,

I agree, you should go Tess's route.  Loved your description of what would happen with a squirt bottle.  LOL!  My dog doesn't like being squirted so it would probably work with her.  We're not there yet but will let you know if we do as well as I hope we will or I will give you the gruesome details of our "rodeo" when it happens...provided I don't have a cast on both arms. 

 For a dog who gets fixated on the tire it is important to stop it and do it before you or the dog is injured. There is the possibility that the dog is seeing the spokes move, so finding a way to cover the spokes on the side the dog is on can help if this is the attractant. If the dog has a prong collar on, use a short leash and not one with a loop on the end. In other words, do not jeopardize yourself with a loop on the leash that can get caught on you, or the bike. 

I have had a few dogs who liked the wheel and all but one was controllable and trained eventually to realize they had to ride next to me at the seat area, not the wheel area. You don't want the dog that far in front. The dog should be trotting and that generally means about 7-8 mph speed, depending on the size of the dog. With one dog, I taught the dog first to trot next to me on an ATV. Each time the dog tries to forge, correct him/her with the prong. Be certain to praise the dog when it is correct in position. You don't need a Springer. But the rider needs to be absolutely comfortable on the bike and keep the dog under control. 

One other trick is to play ball with the dog for a long time, before you train on a bike with the dog. A tired dog does not push you so much and you can teach the dog to ride beside you more easily. But to train, you do have to get control over this and doing a routine over time to help the dog condition will be easier on the dog, and you!

A few good sharp jerks on the leash when on the bike when the dog is not tired should then transfer over and remind the dog to stay with you. 

Good luck.

Can't wait to check out that link for biking training!  When we first started biking (walking beside bike) my girl was fixated on the wheel, but not once we got riding at a trotting speed.

Before I had the springer I held the leash in left hand, wrapped it behind the seat and then to her harness with her on my right side.  So the bike took up some of the pull and kept her BACK from the front wheel a lot.  Picture leash in a V. 

Now I've got a springer and a martingale type harness and that is way better.  Takes up any of the tugs and pulls her back into position without jostling the bike much.  But then again, she is pretty responsive to leash directions and isn't a huge puller to start with.  But we even handle the occassional squirrel lunge pretty well without tugging the bike too much.

Heather